Outcast from Birth 2: Circle of Life
by Bambi-littledeer07
Summary: The sequel to "Outcast from birth". Her own mother neglected her, her pride ignored her. Now everything has turned around, will Sharra be able to cope and be the mom her mother never was?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Disney owns the lion king and the original storyline and everything

Disclaimer: Disney owns the lion king and the original storyline and everything. I am merely expressing a story of relation to the lion king.

Note: I have decided to reignite my passion for writing, but need to start out slowly, so I figured I'd give you all a surprise and write a sequel to "Outcast from Birth" since a few of you had said you wanted me to continue. You may have to give me ideas along the way, but hopefully you'll enjoy this story as well as you did the first. For now, enjoy chapter 1! ;)

Chapter 1

"_I can't believe you're pregnant, Kam..I just can't." The white lioness sighed, shaking her head. It seemed only yesterday that her only daughter had been a cub, asking questions and following her around all the time. _

"_Mother, I'm an adult now. I've been an adult for a while ya' know." _

"_Oh babygirl, I know. It's just hard. Seems like just yesterday I was staring down at you and your brother, scared half to death that I'd fail you,"_

"_Momma! You would never fail us, how could you?"_

"_I'd been through so much by the time I'd had you, I thought for sure I'd never be a good mother, and there were times you two scared me so bad I though I'd lose you forever. Becoming a mother is a scary thing Kam, and I think for me, it was ten times scarier…" The white lioness continued, a few tears gathering in her eyes._

"_Tell me the story Mom, I mean..of course I know it, I lived it!" She laughed, bumping heads with her mother. "But tell me your side of it, let me see it through your eyes…"_

The young lioness lifted her head from the bushes and let out a long sigh, rolling her eyes skyward and taking deep breaths. A shudder passed through her and slowly she made herself stand. She had no idea what was wrong with her, but knew that she was getting sick, and she was not enjoying it.

Sharra, the white lioness, stood on shaky legs and then began to make her way to the shaman's tree, knowing he would surely be able to help her. At the base of his tree, she was just gathering the strength to call to him, when Ashka appeared beside her. She sighed and shook her head. "Shoulda known," she said, shaking her head.

The old baboon merely laughed. "How long has it been?"

"A week or two," Sharra replied, knowing he knew why she was there.

The baboon shook his head. "Only in de mornings? Or certain tings you eat? Or smell?"

Sharra shook her head. "Yes, zebra turns my stomach inside out…Ashka, what's wrong with me? Am I getting sick, and what? Why are you laughing? Zebra never used to make me sick…" She said, shaking her head in confusion.

"Chile' you're not getting sick. You're fine. You're just pregnant," Ashka said, laying a gentle hand on Sharra's shoulder.

Sharra's eyes widened and her legs went numb. They felt like jelly and slowly they slid out from beneath her and she slid down into a laying position. Her ears tipped back and she felt the waves of nausea return until the savannah seemed to be spinning around her. Pictures of her past played a slideshow in her head.

Finally she looked up at Ashka and found tears running down her face in little uncontrollable rivers. "I'm going to be a mom?" She asked, her voice wavering on hysteria.

Ashka sighed and sat down beside her. "Yes, but don' worry. You'll be a wonderful Moder'."

"Ashka…How do you know that? I-I'm so confused..I'm scared, what do I do?"

The old baboon simply laughed. "Oh Sharra, you love dat cub. You love it as dough it's de most precious ting in de world. You'll do fine," He gave her a hug then and Sharra sobbed into his shoulder.

"_Wow, I didn't know that," Kam said, watching her mother stare at the ground between her paws._

_"No, not even your father knows that. Oh Kam, I was so scared, so scared that I wouldn't be fit to be a mother. After all, my Mother didn't really give me a good example." Sharra explained._

_"I know Momma,"_

_"After I got my crying out on Ashka, I did a lot of thinking on my way back to the den. The more I thought, the less scared I became. I knew that I did not want to be like my own Mother, and I vowed that I would not be. I told myself I would do just as Ashka said, that I would love you, and your brother, as no one else would. By the time I got home, I was as excited as you are now…"_

A/N: I know that this is short, but bear with me…I need to come up w/ ideas for what happens next and it's late and I wanted to get this posted. Hope you enjoyed it though, and please review, let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Her stomach was alive with butterflies. Nerves had her muscles tense and her movements were jerky. Was she really pregnant? Cubs, she'd never thought about having cubs before. Her own mother had neglected her, done only enough so Sharra lived. Now it was Sharra's turn.

Before she knew it, she was at the entrance of the den. A sudden calm washed over her. This cub would be hers and Kieji's. It would be loved and cared for and adopted by the whole pride. And she, Sharra, would be a mother. She was going to be a mother!

Sniffing the air to make sure no one else was there, Sharra entered the den. Kieji lifted his head and looked at her. "Is everything all right?" he asked, rising and moving over to her. Sharra merely smiled.

"No," she said, her eyes meeting his as the smile increased. "Everything is wonderful!" She let out a sigh as Kieji cocked his head in interest. "Oh Kieji..I'm pregnant! We're having a cub!" She near yelled.

The male was frozen for a moment, letting everything settle in and digesting it. Then, as though someone had switched a button, he near jumped and then rubbed himself against Sharra. "I can't believe it…oh Sharra, wow..we're going to be parents!" He smiled, and licked her cheek. She leaned against him and let out a long sigh.

"_Oh momma, that's so sweet." Kam said, smiling slightly, looking at her mother._

"_Yes, I think your father was more excited than I was at that point. He acted like a cub himself for a few days. Most of the pride actually got annoyed with it." She laughed, thinking back. "He calmed down…and then I'm not sure which was better…him being a cub or watching my every move."_

"_What do you mean?" Kam questioned._

"Should you be doing that?" Kieji asked as Sharra moved to head out with the hunting party. She stopped, as well as the group of lionesses and stared. "I mean, it might hurt the baby…"

The white lioness laughed lightly. "Honey, it'll be fine. Ashka said I was ok to continue hunting for another month or so." She walked back over to him as the huntresses exited the den. Sharra rubbed her head beneath her mate's chin. "I promise to be careful. I've given lead huntress over to Mali for now so that it's not that stressful. Does that make you feel better?"

The king of the pride let out a long sigh. "Alright, well…if you're sure." Sharra nodded. "Then I guess go on…but be extra careful!!" He called after her as she left.

Sharra shook her head as she caught up with the group. "He sure is worried, isn't he?" Mali asked, dropping back a few paces to walk with Sharra.

"Yeah…he won't leave me alone! I swear, if I take one step that he thinks might hurt this cub, he's on me again!" Sharra laughed.

"Well, I guess it's good that he worries so, it means he'll be a good father…if not a bit overprotective anyway.." The whole group giggled at that, shaking their heads.

--

"Sharra…Sharra wake up…" Kieji urged, nudging his mate. "Sharra,"

Moaning, Sharra rolled over and opened one eye halfway, peering out at him. "mmmhmm?"

"Are you ok? Is something wrong with the cub?" He questioned, eyes searching hers.

Sharra groaned and let out a huff of breath. "W-what're you talkin' about..?"

"You were growling and moaning and curling up weird in your sleep, like you were in pain…" Kieji explained, looking over her with a protective eye.

The lioness let out a long sigh and then yawned as she stretched. "Kieji I'm fine…I was just having a bad dream, go back to sleep," she said, rolling over and curling up once again.

"Are you sure?" He asked. She whisked her tail in his face as an answer. "Alright, alright, I'll go back to sleep." He lay his head on his paws, but he sat there staring at her for a long while, unsure of what to make of it. His sleep was fitful, and he often woke up at even the slightest movement on Sharra's part. Any movement could be mean distress and he wanted to be there to help her. It worried him, the thought of being a parent, of being responsible for a life beyond his own.

Finally, a few hours before the sun was due to rise, he fell into a deep sleep. It was right around then that Sharra awoke again, but didn't move. Her ears swiveled in different directions, detecting who was asleep and who wasn't. She knew her mate was asleep by the sound of his breathing and the deepness of it. Slowly, already knowing how jumpy he was, she rose to her feet.

Sharra did not stretch, but rather stalked out of the den in hunting mode, being sure to stay quiet so as not to disturb anyone. Though her paws made tiny little crumbles of rock roll away, she made it sound as though a bird had landed and made the noise. She moved with such poise, such precision, that no animal would know her presence unless she wanted them to.

And only when she was sure she was far enough away from the den that she would not wake Kieji up did she pull herself out of hunting mode. She glanced back and whisked her tail with a smile. Then, without any further hesitation, Sharra turned and ran, stretching her legs as far as they'd go. Kieji would've yelled, she knew, but she had ground to cover and not much time to do it. Plus, it was her favorite time of the day, even though really it probably was considered night by most.

She stretched out, eating up the ground in easy strides. Her run stirred up sleeping birds, who squawked and cawed in annoyance at her. She merely laughed and continued running. When she scared up another flock, she pounced and caught on of them in her jaws. She carried it with her as she slowed down to a lengthy trot.

When she was close enough to where she wanted to be, she plucked the feathers from her bird and then gorged on a measly breakfast. She finished it quickly, and then stood and started out again.

At the border, Sharra stopped, taking a deep breath of the air she'd grown up with. A shiver of memories ran through her and she forced herself to forget. Times were better now, she reminded herself. Sitting down, she looked around, ears pricked forward, listening for any sound that would tell her what she wanted to know.

"_What were you doing there Mom?" Kam asked._

_"Waiting dear, waiting," Sharra said, smiling. She looked over her daughter's rounding form and sighed. She remembered. Yes, she remembered. _

_"Waiting for what?" _

_"Not what, Kam, who. I was waiting for Memmai. We always told each other everything, and normally we knew when to meet up, so it was just a matter of waiting for her to show up," Sharra laughed, shaking her head._

_Kam smiled, her eyes shifting to the distant horizon. "I see, so what happened then?"_


	3. Chapter 3

Note to Readers: If you haven't read Outcast From Birth, you should read that before you read this

Note to Readers: If you haven't read Outcast from Birth, you should read that before you read this. It tells about Sharra and gives you her history.

Chapter 3

The rustle in the grass had Sharra's senses on alert. Her ears swiveled, trying to find the source. She stood, looking around. The sound didn't come again. Sharra let out a sigh, starting to lose hope that her friend would show up. Maybe she'd been wrong this time.

The lioness started to turn when all of the sudden she was knocked flat. The wind was knocked out of her for a moment and the long tuft of fur on her on head fell forward to cover her eyes. She shook her head and let out a gasp of air. Then, looking up she smiled, staring at the inquisitive brown eyes of her best friend. "Mai," the word escaped on a long breath as she slowly regained her footing.

When she was standing, Memmai smiled and bumped heads with the other lioness and then slipped her head beneath Sharra's and began purring. Teary eyed, Memmai pulled back and smiled. "I've missed you," She said, pulling her paw over her face. She stared at her best friend, the smile never leaving her face. It was then that Sharra had to smile, for in her friend's eyes she recognized something; that same glow, the same feelings shimmering just below the surface.

"You too?" Sharra smiled. She laughed lightly, "You too," she repeated. The two nuzzled each other again. For a while, neither one said anything, but sat there, almost like lovers, heads together, basking in the knowledge that they would be mothers together. Somehow, it made it better, knowing that they weren't alone. They would have each other in this scary ordeal.

Having come from similar backgrounds, both were scared of motherhood, of what it meant, or how to handle it. Would they be able to? Memmai's mother had nearly left her for dead, and only hadn't because Ashka had taken her instead. Sharra's mother had only given Sharra the attention she absolutely needed, otherwise neglected her.

Finally, Sharra leaned back, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. "I'm scared," Memmai murmured, her head still bowed. Sharra nodded.

"I know, me too," She looked toward the pridelands, toward the place where so much pain had been endured, where stories abounded, both good and bad. A small smile played upon her lips. "We're going to make it, we have each other Mai, we can do this."

Memmai shook her head. Slowly she lifted her head. "You're right," she smiled. "Oh Sharra, we're going to be mothers!" She suddenly screamed, the Memmai Sharra remembered coming through. She danced a funny step and then licked Sharra's cheek. "Oh gosh Sharra, Katu's so happy he could burst. I can't believe it…I mean, we tried that last time and nothing happened, so I just settled in on my queen duties," Memmai shook her head, this time happy tears shining in her eyes. "And then the sickness in the morning came and I just knew, I mean..I talked to Ashka to be sure, but I knew even without his confirmation," she laughed then, so fun and lighthearted.

"Kieji and I weren't trying, it just sorta happened…" Sharra laughed. "But I'm sure glad it did, even if we hadn't thought or talked about cubs. Oh Mai, can you even imagine…me? Being a mother? I can't even imagine it!"

Memmai giggled. "Well I guess you're going to have to, aren't you? I'm so happy for you Sharra, and for me, and for Katu and Kieji! Oh and for everyone in the world, I'm so happy I could just fly!" Memmai shouted, tagging Sharra with her nose and then running off a few steps.

Caught in the moment of bliss, Sharra chased after her, laughing as they played a makeshift game of tag.

"_Mom…do you think I'll be a good mother?" Kam asked, ears laying back against her head._

_Sharra smiled, nuzzled her daughters cheek. "No honey, I don't think, I know that you will be a good mother. You'll have me and your father alongside you, and your brother…" she laughed. "Though how much help he'll be, I'm not sure, considering he's not sure how long he'll be around," The lioness shook her head. _

_Kam nodded. "And the pride, them too," _

_Sharra turned her head toward her daughter. "And Rahz,"_

_For a moment, only a moment, Kam's face clouded, then the soft smile returned. "Yeah, I'll have Rahz,"_

As the sun began it's slow rise to the sky, Sharra made her way back into her territory. Though she knew that she should go back to the den so Kieji wouldn't worry, she was thirsty. The meeting with Memmai had left her in a good mood, and she knew once Kieji knew where she'd been he'd be fine.

When she reached the watering hole, she lay down, her front paws slightly in the rippling water. She drank deeply, her eyes closing and her body slightly relaxing. To anyone without a trained eye, it would look as though she had let her guard down and was lost in drinking the water. But she wasn't. Her ears twitched every few seconds, listening for any noise out of the ordinary, and though outwardly she relaxed, her senses were on alert.

And it was her keen sense of knowing when she wasn't alone that told her someone was watching her. She knew even before the rustle of grass gave them away. Sighing, Sharra stood and turned. Kieji emerged from the taller grasses. "You should've woke me," he said, leaning down to drink beside her.

Sitting now, Sharra stared down at her mate. "I never have before,"

"Yeah, but you weren't pregnant before," Kieji said, lifting himself so he was sitting, facing her. His tone sounded irritated.

Sharra sighed. "You have a life inside you now Sharra, one that you're responsible for. You can't just go wandering off in the middle of the night, what if something happened? What if you ran into a rogue or something?" Kieji started, shaking his head.

Growling, Sharra stood. "Any of that could've happened the thousands of other times I've went out to see Memmai at night, you never cared about it before. Why should it matter now that I'm carrying our cub? I'm not a fragile being that doesn't know what's safe and what's not. I'm not going to break if I take a walk and nothing is going to happen to our cub if I go share my good news with my best friend!" Her good mood had been spoiled by Kieji's attitude.

"It matters because you could've woke me, that way I would know where you were and I could've-"

"Could've what, Kieji? Could've followed me?" She laughed.

"Yes, actually," Kieji replied. "That way I would know you were safe! That our cub was safe…"

"Safe, safe, safe, safe, safe! I'm so sick of being 'safe' or being 'careful'. I'm tired of watching what I do around you so you don't get upset. I was excited about this baby Kieji, but I'm not so excited anymore. Not if you're going to watch my every step and tell me little things I used to do are wrong. I can't even hunt without you freaking out about it! I'm so sick of it, I'm just so sick of it! Let me live Kieji, let me be who I am! I'm so tired of you jumping down my throat over anything and everything that I used to do everyday!" unable to stand it anymore, Sharra stood, turned, and ran.

She heard Kieji yelling after her, for a few minutes even heard him trying to catch up with her, but she'd had enough. She lengthened her stride and put distance between him and her. She wasn't entirely sure where she was going, but her feet always carried her where she needed, so she trusted them this time again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"_You just ran out of there?"_

"_Yeah…not the smartest thing to do, I know now. Let me tell you though, when your hormones are surging, you don't always do the right thing. I was really upset though,"_

"_Well Daddy shouldn't have been so hard on you, he does sound like he was overreacting a bit…" Kam said, frowning._

"_Perhaps I was, but I'd never been a father before," his daughter jumped as Kieji walked up to sit beside her. He smiled at Sharra and leaned down to rub cheeks with her._

"_Both of us were scared Kam, and my raging hormones weren't helping, running away wasn't going to help anything, but you overreacting wasn't right either,"_

_Kieji nodded. "I know,"_

Sharra collapsed at the base of Ashka's tree, tears streaming down her cheeks. She pulled her paws around her face, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Shh, child, calm down," Ashka's gentle hand rested on her back for a moment before stroking her fur.

"I messed ev-every-everything up!" Sharra sobbed.

"No," The baboon shook his head. "No, I don't tink so, I tink you just need to calm down," he patted her shoulder. "Come, let's go up in my tree and talk, hmm?"

Slowly Sharra rose and then followed him. "Oh Ashka, why does everything have to be so hard?" She choked on another sob.

The old baboon laughed. "Oderwise life would be boring," he was mixing something in one of his famous shells. "Tell me what happened and we'll work dis out, but first, here, eat dis, it'll make you feel a little better and is good for dat growing cub," he set the bowl in front of her feet.

Sharra let out a long sigh as she leaned down and sniffed it. It smelled delicious. The lioness allowed a small smile and then lapped up the concoction. Ashka was right, it did make her feel better, and made her relax a little bit.

The old baboon smiled, "Now, tell me what happened,"

--

Night had fallen by the time Sharra left Ashka's tree. She walked slowly, the tears still fresh on her face. Talking with Ashka had made her feel somewhat better, but now she had to face Kieji again. She let out a long sigh, she wasn't looking forward to it.

She was within sight of the den when she saw him. Without thinking, she burst into a run and he mirrored her. They met in a collide of limbs that might've looked like a fight, but really it was only a hug. Slowly they sunk to the ground, heads together, hair entangling in the exact spot where they'd met.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry," Kieji sobbed, tears streaming down his face.

"Me too Kieji, I'm sorry," Sharra cried.

"No, I shouldn't have yelled at you for going out," Kieji pulled back just enough to look at her. "I just don't know what to do or how to help or anything. I feel so lost on this. You should be able to go see Memmai and share everything with her…I'm so sorry Sharra,"

"Kieji, I shouldn't have yelled at you either…I'm so sorry. I should've just explained how I was feeling…should've a while ago.." She rubbed her head beneath his chin.

Slowly they sunk lower so they were laying down, heads together. Kieji began to hum, the tune one that sounded familiar to Sharra. She stared at him, her amber eyes searching, thinking back. When the song registered, the two began singing at the same time…

_I see the sun_

_I see the stars_

_Each time…_

_I look into your eyes_

_You try to hide_

_Yet here you are_

_Let yourself let go_

_And see the sun_

_See the stars_

_And see yourself_

_For the first time_

"I love you Sharra," Kieji said, a small smile playing across his lips. She blinked back her tears, a smile playing on her own lips.

"I love you too," she said, licking his cheek.

"_We slept out there that night, in the spot where we'd met. The song connected us, made us realize how much we loved and needed each other." Sharra sighed, watching her mate walk off, swishing his tail. She looked at her daughter, with her rounding belly and the glow about her, and felt suddenly sad and happy at the same time. She smiled. _

_Kam's eyes were misting and she was fighting the tears that were welling up. "Hormones.." she tried to laugh. Her mother merely nuzzled her. _

"_It's ok Kam,"_

_She cried then, the tears slipping out and sliding down. Sharra sighed and moved closer to her daughter. "I know honey, I know.." She rested her head on Kam's shoulderblades and sighed, knowing her daughter was excited, but scared at the same time._

"_Do you want me to stop the story?"_

"_No! No, Momma," Kam sobbed, "I-I want to know the rest of the story, please?"_

The days and weeks began to pass. Slowly at first, and then it seemed as though overnight Sharra's form grew round and instead of walking and rising easily, she waddled and had trouble standing up.

As morning came pouring into the den one day, Sharra blinked, pulling a paw over her head to block out the light. The sun was not welcomed at that point.

"Good morning Sunshine," Kieji murmured, nuzzling the top of her head. Sharra merely groaned.

She sighed, lifting her head to look at him. He smiled at her. "Why are you always in a good mood?"

"Because I don't look like a balloon," he laughed.

Sharra growled and cuffed him. "Haha, you're so funny," she was still growling as she attempted the ever-hardening task of rising to her feet.

"Need help?" Kieji asked. She growled at him in response.

It took a moment longer than she wanted, but she rose, even stretched. Kieji merely laughed and nuzzled her. He then escorted her to the watering hole, where they shared a drink before parting ways. Kieji had to go check the borders and Sharra, though she hadn't told Kieji, was going on her own quest to find a place to give birth.

It was getting close, she could feel it, Memmai and Katu's majordomo had come earlier that week to announce that Memmai had given birth to three beautiful cubs. So Sharra knew she was due any day. Of course, she also knew this because every day it was harder to walk around and she felt as though she were carrying a whole zebra's weight with her everywhere she went.

Sighing, she made her way away from the watering hole, heading toward the grove of trees that lined the area behind their den. Something kept pulling her that way, but she had yet to check it out. Though her belly was round and there was no doubt she was carrying, many said she still held a certain grace about her, perhaps that of a true huntress. Now she used this skill to pick over the fallen logs and sticks, to walk with a carefulness one would think she didn't possess. She followed her instincts, her heart, her legs as they led her deeper into the wooded area.

Just as she thought she was definitely too far she saw it; the huge tree with the worn out trunk, a small hole just big enough to squeeze through yet, as she got closer, discovered it opened into a huge area as big as the tree itself. The tree looked almost like a replica of Ashka's, except it was smaller and not quite as wide at the base. And it was perfect.

Sharra stared at the opening, debating going inside to make sure when the pain clutched at her abdomen, forcing her knees to buckle and her breath to hitch. Like it or not, this was the place, and the time was now.

A/N: Alright so I gave you all a longer chapter, hope you enjoyed it. I'm hoping to get the next one up soon, so stay with me! ;)


	5. Chapter 5

"Just like that huh

Note: I just wanted to thank Karin Skywalker for being a faithful reviewer and giving your input on my story. I'm glad you're enjoying it. ;)

Chapter 5

"_Just like that huh?" Kam asked, ears pitching backward out of concern._

_Sharra laughed. "Just like that it hit me. I think that's why the need to find someplace was so strong."_

"_What was wrong with the den?"_

_Her mother smiled. "Nothing, really. It was more that I just didn't want to be around anyone else, not as the time got closer. At first I didn't think I'd care, but then…I don't know, it just didn't feel right. I wanted somewhere secluded, private, where I could have out my pain in solitude…and I'd be the first to see my own babies and not be overwhelmed by everyone cooing over them…" She laughed and had Kam laughing._

"_Yeah I suppose that makes sense…"_

"_You'll see when your time comes," Sharra replied._

Once the pain subsided, Sharra forced herself to crawl into the hollowed out tree and make herself at home. She knew there wouldn't be much time before the next contraction, so she moved some old brush around, swiped some twigs and branches out and then dug until the earth felt cool and her paws were filthy. Sharra was about to keep digging when she felt the beginning of another one.

This one wasn't as severe and she had time to lay down before it really hurt. She dug her claws into the soft, cool earth and groaned, shutting her eyes tight and wincing. As the pain started ebbing away she let out a long sigh and then took another shallow breath. A tiny tear escaped and slid down her cheek, despite her trying not to cry.

She was excited, but hadn't exactly been expecting it to hurt quite that bad. So she waited, trying to brace herself, and almost, almost wishing Kieji were there with her. In some ways she knew it would make her feel better, but she also knew he would be in the way more than anything else. So she pictured him there instead, letting her lean against him and licking her cheek as another contraction took her.

This time she let out a little roar of agony, immediately regretting it as the hollow almost made a cone to which the sound echoed through and then out, surely carrying through the woods toward the den. She shut her eyes and dug her claws into the earth again, then took a deep breath and tried to let it out slowly. No, she hadn't expected the pain to be this bad…or perhaps she was just a sissy…no…she was a huntress. She was just in real pain, that was all. Real, physical pain instead of the emotional pain she was used to.

Another one hit almost immediately after the last and something inside her told her to start pushing. Though the pain was so intense it made her head spin, she pushed, fighting the waves of dizziness threatening to overtake her. Another contraction and another bout of pushing and she felt something. Opening her eyes as the pain slowly began ebbing away, she curled her body around to see the little cub.

Shock had her staring at it for a moment before instinct took over and she began cleaning it. The little life started mewling and yelping as soon as it's mouth was clear. Sharra laughed, a huge smile spreading over her face. However, she didn't have time to discover the gender of her cub before another contraction hit. Sharra threw herself flat against the ground, gasping and pushing at the same time, her body taking over.

"I thought I was done…" she cried, a few more tears escaping and sliding down. The second cub slid out screaming in protest and again Sharra curled around to clean it. This one she didn't stare at, merely cleaned rapidly, not wanting it to get anything in it's lungs. When both cubs were clean, she gently picked them up and moved them to where they could suckle. She let out a long sigh, staring down at her beautiful cubs. She was exhausted by this point, and so while they suckled, she laid her head down, ears alert and dozed.

_Kam's face was screwed up in a weird sort of frown. _

_Sharra smiled, nuzzled her. "Don't worry, once you see your cub or cubs, you'll forget about all the pain, it won't even be in your mind anymore," Kam merely nodded._

_She gulped. "What if I don't forget, what if, what if I have like five cubs or something??" She asked, her voice on the edge of hysterics now. Sharra couldn't help but laugh. _

"_Then you'll have five cubs, and yes, it will hurt for every one of them, but you'll look at them when all is said and done, and you won't care anymore, because these little lives, these beautiful little lives just came out of you, were created by the love you shared with your mate and nothing else in the world but that will matter to you," Sharra licked her daughter's cheek. "Trust me,"_

The cracking noise outside had Sharra awake and standing, teeth bared, hair standing on edge. She peered outside, ears pinned, ready for anything. Once she saw it was Kieji, her features relaxed and she bounded out of the den, throwing herself against him and licking his cheek.

He smiled and nuzzled her. "I thought you were in there," he said. Sharra nodded and then walked back over and slipped in. There was enough room for both, so Kieji followed. Sharra lay down again and motioned for him to lay with her.

He obliged, curling up behind her and resting his head over her shoulderblades as he peered down at his cubs.

"One male and one female," Sharra supplied. Kieji nodded.

"Names?" He asked.

"I'm not sure yet, do you have any ideas?"

The male looked over his two cubs. "Which one is which?" Sharra smiled and then showed him. One, the female, was a dark chocolate color, her belly and muzzle a tan color. The male was a dark beige, with light tan for his muzzle and belly.

"Kasoni," Kieji said, nodding toward the male. Sharra smiled.  
"Kamira for the female then," she replied.

They nuzzled, touching noses before settling. Sharra laid her head on her paws while Kieji left his head over her shoulders. He smiled, sighing with contentment. "Kamira and Kasoni, hmm," he murmured, licking her shoulder. "They're beautiful Sharra, absolutely beautiful,"

A/N: Alright…I know…this one was super short. I didn't want to leave you all with a cliffy b/c I'm not going to be updating for a few days and I also ran out of ideas for the night. So hope you enjoyed the birth of Kam and Kasoni, and the next chapter will be up later on in the week. Please review, let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Much her mothers daughter, Kamira was awake long before the sun rose. She lay awake, eyes scanning her surroundings. She watched the sleeping forms of her pridemembers, ears perked forward, twitching as they tried to catch every sound there was. Beside her, Kasoni was sound asleep, even slightly snoring. She watched her mother's tail flick back and forth, her paw twitch involunteerily as she dreamt. Everything was taken in, absorbed in these early hours by the young cub. This was her time to observe.

Many days she lay, staring at the opening of the den, curious. For what felt like years she'd woken at this time and could only stare, not even move. Now she could walk, perhaps clumsily, but she was moving around the den at least. Her mother had kept her from the entrance, promising her to one day take her there, show her what lay beyond that mystical area of light.

Kamira's nerves were alive, her whole body humming in anticipation. No longer did she have to wait, for today was the day Sharra had promised to take her and Kasoni out and show them the world that would be theirs. Kamira lifted her head when her mothers whole shoulder twitched, followed by a gasp. The deep amber eyes opened briefly and then fluttered shut, squeezing as the white body tensed up.

The young cub stood and moved closer to her mother, nuzzling the shoulder that had just twitched. Rolling forward Sharra stared down at her young daughter. "Momma?" Kam asked, her cerulean eyes asking the question.

Sharra melted at the sight. "Don't worry baby, just a bad dream is all," She told her, licking her forehead. "What're you up at this time for?" Sharra asked, staring out at the still dark sky.

Kamira looked away, slightly embarrassed that her secret had been discovered. "Excited?" her mother asked, smiling. The cub's face lit up and she nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, real excited," she said, laughing.

Sharra roped her paw around behind her daughters rump and pulled her close to nuzzle her. She licked the downy soft cheek and couldn't help but smile as Kam burst into excited giggles. "Momma!" she laughed.

_She laughed now, remembering almost as vividly as Sharra. "I was so happy you were up then, awake with me. I couldn't wait to see the outside world you and Dad got to see everyday," Kam said, then looked off toward the distant savannah. "Now I wish sometimes I never had,"_

_Sharra sighed, staring at her daughter as Kam fought the tears back. "Oh baby," She nuzzled her cheek. "You mustn't think like that. You're going to have beautiful cubs that will make up for all of lifes hardships. You'll see. You'll look down at them and everything will be ok just because they're there,"_

_Kam looked up at Sharra, their eyes locking for a moment. "But…"_

"_No buts, you'll see honey. You'll get through this, I promise, just like you got through your first day in the real world,"_

By the time the sun had poured its light into the den, Kamira was nearly bouncing she was so excited. "Come on Kas! You're slow," She yipped, biting his shoulder to get him moving.

He shot forward, yelping. "Ow! Mo-om! Kamira bit me!" He limped forward dramatically.

Sharra rolled her eyes, "Kamira, you can't bite your brother. Apologize or we won't go anywhere today,"

The young cub sighed and shook her head. "Ugh, fine. I'm sorry Kasoni," He nodded his forgiveness and then ran up to stand beside his mother. Kamira followed, squeezing between him and Sharra.

"You two knuckleheads ready?" She asked, smiling. They giggled and nodded their heads. "Alright then, let's go,"

The light was blinding as they stepped out onto the edge of the opening. As they eyes adjusted, they took in everything with simultaneous "wow's" as they looked at each other and then stared in open-mouthed awe at the world that was now theirs. "It's beautiful isn't it?" Sharra asked, looking down at them.

Unable to answer, they merely nodded. "You two want to see the rest of it?" They nodded again, their faces breaking out into huge smiles.

Turning, Sharra hopped off the large rock and then turned. She took Kam first, grabbing her by the scruff and lifting her off the rock and then putting her on the ground. She repeated the process with Kasoni. Then, she walked off, the two cubs following after her.

As she walked, Sharra was reminded of her first outing in the pridelands. The memory overflowed inside her head, playing itself out in such vivid detail that she nearly staggered trying to push it out.  
"Momma? You ok?" Kasoni asked as she stumbled.

Offering a small smile Sharra nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine, you guys want to see the watering hole first?" They nodded.

"Yeah!"

They bounded ahead of her as she neared it, rough-housing a bit and almost tumbling overtop one another. Sharra smiled as she watched. She even laughed when their play landed them in the water. As the water from the splash rose and fell over them, both nearly jumped out of their skin and came flying back out, toppling into Sharra's legs as she stopped just a few feet from the waters edge.

"What in the world is that?" Both asked, shivering as they leaned against their mother.

Sharra laughed. "Water," she replied simply. "You drink it, now that you guys are old enough to, this is what you'll drink, and you'll eat what Daddy's been bringing you," She said, smiling.

Cautiously, Kamira moved forward, walking over to the edge again. She stared down at her reflection and cocked her head. "That's what you look like," Sharra said, staring down at the water and adding her reflection to her daughters. As she stared at her own reflection, she remembered the first time she'd seen it. She moved away and shook her head. She remembered still, remembered finally figuring out why everyone made fun of her and made her an outcast. She let out a long sigh and then smiled as she watched her children begin to tentatively play in the water.

As she did, she wondered about Memmai and her cubs. Were they out discovering the pridelands for the first time as well? Or had they already discovered them? What did they look like? Perhaps they took after Mai, or maybe Katu. Sharra smiled as she wondered.

She looked at her cubs, laughing as Kamira made Kasoni do a somersault and land in the water. She shook her head as she noticed how muddy they already were. "Alright you two, let's go see something else,"

She stood and began to walk off, laughing at the way the two complained. They followed, even though they whined about it.

Sharra showed them everything, walking around the land and explaining what everything was, telling them what was off-limits and why. She left the hunting grounds for last, standing at the bottom of the hill that would lead them there. Her cubs were beginning to get tired, she knew, but this was the best part of the whole tour, or so she hoped it would be. She had saved the hunting area for last because she knew this was the time that the hunting party would be out hunting. The white lioness had timed it just right so that her cubs would see a hunt.

"You two ready to see something exciting?" She asked, eyeing the top of the hill.

Instantly their ears perked up. Though they both were tired, the prospect of something exciting had them curious. "Of course," Kasoni replied, lifting his head and holding it high in a show of pride.

Sharra laughed. "Alright then, follow me, and try to be as quiet as you can ok?"

They nodded and then followed her, trying to mimic their mother as she crouched low and slunk forward. She moved with the agile grace of a huntress and had to force herself to keep it slow so that her cubs could keep up, and as she glanced back, she had to try to keep from laughing as they tried to imitate her.

Despite the slow progress, they made it to the top of the hill. Sharra stayed low to the ground, watching, eyes scanning the herd of zebra beneath them. She smiled, zebra was her favorite. "Wow Momma, there's so many," Kamira whispered.

Sharra nodded. "Those are zebra," she said. Her daughter nodded.

The lioness picked out where the party was arranged, eyeing them, eyeing their positions. Her muscles tensed, as she wished she could be among them. Mali was at the front of the pack, off to the side a bit. Sharra watched as the huntress nodded her head, asking two of the party to move forward.

"You guys get to witness a hunt, see Mali down there, off to the left a bit?" She asked. Kam and Kasoni nodded. "She's in charge, everyone has to watch her for orders," Sharra was about to explain the next step when she heard something. Turning her head she barely had time to gasp before the herd of zebra were in full stampede, and heading right for her and her cubs…

A/N: Sorry for the cliffy, I will update soon! And 10 points to anyone who can guess what's going on with Kam ;)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry for the wait! I had really bad writer's block for this chapter…

Chapter 7

There was no time to think, merely to act. Sharra grabbed the cub nearest to her and with a quick swipe sent the other flying sideways as she tried desperately to get everyone out of the way in time.

The noise was deafening, the ground was shaking as thousand pound bodies flew over the steep embankment. Dirt flew up behind their hooves in clumps as their tough hooves tore up the ground. As the last of them came over the hill, fear such as Sharra had not known enveloped her when she realized Kam was missing.

"_Oh I was so scared, I thought you were curled up behind me, by my leg..turns out it was just a bush but in my haste I didn't realize it," Sharra shook her head, feeling almost as she did then. _

"_I know Momma, I was scared too,"_

Sharra felt sick as panic began to well up inside her. "Kasoni..did you see where your sister went?" She asked as she moved forward over the freshly turned ground. Mali and the other huntresses followed and came upon Sharra and Kas.

"Sharra? What's going on?" Mali asked, watching her queen dart around the hillside. "The hunt got ruined, Anya sneezed and they took –"

"Kamira's gone!" Sharra yelled, a tear sliding down her face. "I tried to get both of them out of the way but I don't' think I got Kam, I can't find her," Sharra sputtered.

"Shh-sh, we'll find her." Mali assured her.

__

Coughing from the dirt still flying, Kam rubbed a paw over her face and looked around. She knew she had rolled somewhere. The swipe from Sharra's paw had sent her sprawling, and then as the zebra crested the hill, she begun to run. Then she'd tripped and had rolled, then been treated like a soccer ball as she was knocked from zebra to zebra. "Momma?" She called.

Where was she? Was she still in her own lands? She stared, wondering. Looking at a tree in the distance she began to run toward it, remembering her mother saying not to be in the open without an adult. Perhaps if she were under that tree she would be safe, and her mother would find her. Yes, Sharra would find her.

It was much farther than it looked though, she realized, slowing down to a walk. Her legs, which were not used to so much exercise, were aching and threatening to give out. She was so tired, and she had no idea where she was. A few tears slipped down her cheeks as she collapsed, breathing heavily. "Momma!" She called out again, sobbing.

"Well now, what 'ave we here? You're a ways away from home aren't you?"

Turning her face upward, Kamira stared into the kind eyes of a baboon. "Wh-Who are you?" She asked.

The baboon laughed. "Ashka, a friend of your moder's. Come, let me take you home, hmm?" Sniffling, Kam nodded.

Picking her up, Ashka cuddled and comforted her for a moment before beginning to walk toward the den.

"_I thought perhaps you had been trampled, and the longer the time went on, the more anxious and worried I got. A few times I actually got sick. Your poor brother…he felt bad too, because I was so worried over you, I kind of forgot about him." Sharra explained._

"_I didn't know what to do, I had no idea where I was, so when I saw Ashka's tree, I just thought..maybe you'd find me there, and then Ashka found me. There was a part of me that said I shouldn't trust him, but I was so scared, and he said he knew you, and he wasn't another predator..so I felt I had no other choice," Kam said, nuzzling her mother._

"_I know sweetie, you got lucky that it was Ashka," She smiled._

By the time they had scoured the entire hillside and the surrounding areas, Sharra was a wreck. The hunting party helped her back to the den, where she lay, staring at the horizon, trying not to cry. Where was her daughter? Kieji lay beside her, nuzzling her. Kasoni sat between his paws and the family silently mourned the daughter they couldn't find.

Just as darkness began to fall, a voice sounded. "Hey, anyone home up dere?"

Sharra lifted her head. "Ashka!" She said, standing and flying forward. "Ashka! Oh Ashka!" She yelled, flying down off of the rock and nearly colliding with the baboon and the daughter for which she had just been mourning. Stopping dead, her eyes filled with tears.

"I believe dis little one is yours?" Ashka asked, holding the cub out.

"Kamira," Sharra whispered, pushing her face against the velvety soft belly. Kam's paws wrapped around her mothers head as mother and daughter wept for joy in finding each other again. "Oh Kam..I thought we'd lost you," She licked the cub's cheek. "Kieji! Kasoni! He found her, Ashka found her!" she yelled, taking Kam from Ashka and laying down to continue nuzzling her daughter.

__

Later that night, Sharra lay awake, her cubs curled up beside her, intertwined around each other they slept deeply. Even Kieji was sleeping heavily. Judging by the sounds around the den, Sharra knew she was the only one who lay awake. Her mind was tired, exhausted even, but she lay awake, her body too tense to allow her sleep.

Slowly rising, Sharra quietly left the den and entered the moonlit night. The air was cool and the stars were abundant. Taking a deep breath, the lioness sighed and then moved off, heading toward the border.

It was time, this she knew. Time to see Memmai again, her heart told her so. Yet even though it was a beautiful night, the nearer Sharra got to where she and her friend met, there was something else in the air. Something she couldn't' quite figure out, but something was off, she was sure of it. Sharra traveled swiftly, wanting to find out what was wrong in the pridelands, for surely there must be something wrong for the air to feel this way.

When she was within sight of the border, she could see Mai sitting with her back towards Sharra. Her head was down and her shoulders hunched over, tense.

Sharra approached with caution. "Mai?" she questioned.

The lioness turned toward her friend, a few tears streaming down her face. Instantly Sharra was beside her. "Oh Memmai! What's wrong, what happened?"

"I was so happy," Memmai sobbed. "They were so beautiful, and they were mine," she was sputtering, the words hard to make out. She leaned against Sharra, crying into her shoulder. "I don't' even know what happened, just-just pouf, one day they're gone.." she hiccupped on a sob.

"Gone? What do you mean Mai?"

"Dead!" Memmai yelled, rising her head. "I had 3 beautiful cubs and now I have one!"

"Oh my god, Memmai, I'm so sorry," Sharra licked her friends cheek.

"You don't' know, you can't know how it feels, especially when there's nothing you could've done, they just died!"

Sharra thought of that day, of thinking she'd lost Kam. No, thinking you'd lost one and actually losing them were two entirely different things. She nuzzled her friend, unsure of what to do.

"What did Ashka say?" Sharra prompted her.

"That it happens sometimes with your first litter, that there was nothing I could've done. No one knows why it happens, it just does sometimes. But oh Sharra! It hurts so bad, and, and I feel like I'm a bad mother to the one I have because I'm so distraught over the other two…" She leaned against Sharra again.

Sharra sighed, her mind wandering. As Memmai cried, Sharra nuzzled her and thought.

"How is Katu holding up?"

Memmai sniffled. "Better than I am, he took Taye out the other day to see the pridelands. The little one loved it, was raving about it, but Sharra I was so scared…I didn't want him to go, I felt horrible, but I don't' want him to leave pride rock…"

Sharra sighed. "I think that's normal in a way Mai. But enjoy him, enjoy him as much as you can, especially now. You need him as much as he needs you Mai,"

The young lioness smiled slightly as she looked up at her friend. "I need you too," She said. Sharra had known that, had felt it from the moment she'd laid eyes on her friend.

"I'll talk to Kieji," was all she said.

A/N: Hope you guys liked this. Again, sorry I took so long to get it up…had some writers block. Still do, but I'll try to get the next chapter up. I also got a job, so it's a little harder. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and I'll get the next up as soon as I can!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"_So that was why we had to go to the pridelands then?" Kam asked._

_Sharra nodded. "Yes, Mai didn't want to talk about it, merely to forget. So I let her forget,"_

_Kam nodded. "I see, well, even though the reason was bad, I'm glad we got to go, it was fun either way,"_

Kieji let out a long sigh. "I don't know Sharra," he shook his head. Watching his cubs play just outside the den, he had to think. Thought about what it felt the day before when they thought they'd lost Kamira. How it had hurt, how it had seemed like the world had exploded and been left only in pieces. He couldn't' imagine what Memmai was going through, or Katu for that matter. He turned to look at Sharra, eyeing her. "You can't go alone," he said.

Sharra shook her head.

"and you can't very well take the cubs with you because I refuse to miss them growing up…" He sighed. He couldn't believe what he was about to suggest, but he knew, somehow he knew, that it was right. "Send Dahlia out to see if Katu would allow our pride to stay in the pridelands for a few moons. We'll stay close to the border so I can keep an eye on our lands and you and the cubs will stay in pride rock and be there for Memmai,"

Sharra looked up, a smile playing over her lips. "Oh Kieji! Thank you!" She yelped, attacking him with a pounce and nuzzling him. She laughed, licked his cheek and then let him up to go find Dahlia, their meerkat majordomo.

__

She was curled up in the shade, blending so well with her surroundings that Sharra almost missed her. If Sharra didn't know the places Dahlia liked to rest, she probably never would've found the meerkat. That, along with Sharra's superb hunting skills, made it easier for her to see what the ordinary eye missed.

Moving her feet a little clumsily so as to make noise and warn the meerkat, Sharra approached. At the soft rustle of the grass, an ear twitched and Dahlia opened her eyes and lifted her head slightly, quietly so as to look at her surroundings. It wasn't by luck that she had survived the harsh savannah for many years. Her eyes zeroed in on Sharra and she stood, bowing immediately. "My queen," she said. "A pleasure to see you this morning, and as always I thank you for waking me without scaring me,"

Sharra nodded. "It's no problem Dahlia,"

"To what do I owe the company?"

Smiling, Sharra explained the situation with Memmai. "So, Kieji and I would like if you would go to the pridelands and ask King Katu to allow us to stay and help out," Sharra's gaze fixed on the distant horizon, the border of the pridelands. "The cubs and I would stay in the den and Kieji and the pride would stay near the borders, so Kieji can keep an eye on our lands,"

Dahlia nodded as all this was said. "Of course your highness, and I would be more than happy to help his majesty with news of the land as well while you're gone,"

"Thank you, report back to us once you find out?" The meerkat nodded and then scurried off toward the pridelands.

"_Dahlia was cool, I liked her a lot," Kam said, smiling. _

"_Yes, me too. Although I will admit it took quite a while to get used to being called 'majesty' and 'highness'. I'm still not used to it, and I've been called it for years," Sharra shook her head. Her daughter merely laughed. "She's still around, enjoying her retirement. Sometimes we see her, or she'll come and see how we're doing. Her son Makalo is doing a pretty good job though,"_

_Kam nodded. "Yeah, but he's still learning, that's evident."_

_The white lioness laughed. "Well, to be a good majordomo takes a while to achieve,"_

"_I know, well..I think I do anyway. So, obviously uncle Katu agreed,"_

"_Yes, of course he did…Memmai was the one who wanted me to go," Sharra laughed._

The pride was excited at the prospect of staying in the pridelands for a while. A few lionesses had come from there and liked the idea of going back for a visit. Others had heard all the stories, but had never traveled through, so were curious about the land they'd heard only in stories.

Though she wasn't sure of the idea, it had been decided that Sharra and the cubs would go first, and Keiji and the pride would make their way in the days to follow. Kasoni and Kamira were overjoyed at the idea of traveling somewhere new.

As Sharra held Kam in her paws, bathing her, the two chatted nonstop about the journey to come.

"Momma, why do we have to have baths before we go? I mean, we're just gonna get dirty again on the way aren't we?" Kasoni asked, watching his sister as Sharra ran her tongue along the back of Kam's head.

"Yeah Momma, you'll have to give us _another_ bath once we get there…" Kam whined.

Sharra smiled. "Because you want to look clean, and hopefully you wont' be too dirty when we get there, but if I clean you now, you won't be nearly as dirty as you would be if I didn't bathe you,"

The two whined.  
"So Momma, what are we gonna do in the pridelands?" Kasoni asked.

"Are we gonna have to stay in the den all the time?" Kam threw a question in.

Sighing, Sharra lifted Kam up and put her aside and then pulled Kasoni forward and began bathing him. "You wont' have to stay in the den," she answered Kam. "And there will be a lot for you to do once we get there. You'll have a tour, and you'll have another cub your age to play with," That statement brought on a whole other spurt of questions.

What color was the cub? Was it a male or female? Was he or she friendly? Would he/she like them?

Shaking her head, Sharra ruffled the fur on their heads. "I don't know you guys, I haven't met the cub and Memmai hasn't told me whether it's a boy or girl. I'm just as curious as you, but I am sure that he or she will be friendly and will be overjoyed at the idea of having playmates," Satisfied, the cubs sat in front of Sharra, both stifling yawns.

"All right you two, bed time. We have a long day ahead of us,"

"But Momma..the sun is still out! We don't go to sleep before the sun does…" Kamira frowned.

"Not usually sweetie, but we'll be getting up while the sun is still asleep and traveling, so it's important that we get as much sleep as we can, ok?" Sharra explained.

They nodded and then lay down, curling around each other. "Okay Momma, we'll try," Kasoni yawned, resting his head on his sister's shoulder blades. Smiling down at them, Sharra quietly rose and walked out to sit on the edge of the den.

__

Miles away on the other side of the border, young Milly was asking her mother just as many questions as Sharra's had.

"Do you think they'll like me Mama?"

Memmai was staring out at the horizon, her mind across the border. She turned toward her daughter, trying to focus. "Oh baby, I'm sure they will,"

"Have you met them Mama? What do they look like?" Milly asked, sitting in front of her mother with eyes as big as saucers, her curiousity leaking out of her.

"No sweetie, I didn't meet them. But I'm sure they'll love you as much as I do. Just think, in a day or so you'll have two cubs to play with," her voice choked a bit on the last few words, for had she not lost Milly's siblings, she would have two cubs to play with. She pushed the thought from her mind, what was it Ashka had said? To focus on the fact that Sharra was coming and would help her through this. Out of bad can come good. Though she had lost her cubs, that loss had brought her best friend back to the pridelands, if only for a short period of time.

A/N: I know this one isn't all that long, and I'm sorry. I also know that I named Memmai's remaining cub 'Taye' and that it was a boy in the last chapter…I changed my mind and decided it would better suit my story if it were a girl. Hope you all are ok with that and are continuing to enjoy the story. Please review and let me know what your thoughts are!! =)


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